Monkey hugs Shashi Tharoor, parks himself on MP's lap, netizens say ‘he wanted to learn English’ | See photos

Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor posted a few pictures on X, where he could be seen having a monkey on his lap. He described how the monkey ate food, sat on his lap and gave him a hug as well.

While sharing four pictures from the interaction, Tharoor wrote,“Had an extraordinary experience today. While I was sitting in the garden, reading my morning newspapers, a monkey wandered in, headed straight for me and parked himself on my lap. He hungrily ate a couple of bananas we offered him, hugged me and proceeded to rest his head on my chest and dozed off. I gently began to get up, he leapt off and loped away."

In the first picture, the monkey is sitting on Tharoor's lap, whereas in the second one, it is eating a banana. In the third and fourth pictures, the monkey is hugging the Congress leader.

In a separate post, Tharoor stated that he was a little scared about a potential monkey bite. However, he kept calm and welcomed the monkey.

“Reverence for wildlife is ingrained in us, so though i was a bit concerned about the risk of a monkey-bite (which would have necessitated rabies shots), I stayed calm and welcomed his presence as non-threatening. I am gratified that my faith was borne out and our encounter was entirely peaceful and gentle," Tharoor wrote on X.

Tharoor's post has gone viral on X, where several social media users have shared their views.

"If the same happened with Modi, Bhakts would have told “Hanuman ji came to Thank Modi for Ram Mandir,” wrote one of the users

“He wanted to learn English from you,” added another.

Another user said, “What a beautiful encounter with nature! Moments like these remind us of the deep, unspoken connection we share with other beings. That monkey’s trust in you speaks volumes about your aura of kindness. Truly, experiences like these make us pause and appreciate the simplicity and warmth of life beyond words.”

“Animals have an innate ability to sense compassion they instinctively recognize kindness and empathy, often responding with trust and connection,” one of the users said.

“What a blessed experience, Shashi Ji! Your calm and 'let-it-be' composure surely helped keep the monkey from monkeying around,” added another.